How can turning to a healthier diet improve outcomes for both climate and health?

Climate-Friendly Diet

Over the Last 50 years, higher income countries have relied increasingly on processed foods,

fast food, sugar, and red meat for their diets. But this pattern has severe detrimental health and environmental effects and is not sustainable. 

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Avoid Processed Food

Eating more natural foods reduces the energy and transportation burden involved in the food production chain compared to processed foods which require significantly more steps. This leads to less greenhouse gas emissions, which is critical because agriculture currently accounts for roughly 25% of all emissions.

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Switch your Protein

Beef and lamb are two of the most carbon-intensive foods when compared to other sources of animal-based protein. This is because ruminant animals are known to release higher levels of methane. Switching to alternative options such as fish, poultry, or beans can reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions by more than half without compromising dietary protein. Beans specifically require far less resources and land for their production.

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Minimize Waste

Americans waste as much as 40% of our food unnecessarily. Adding food to landfills can contribute to global warming and greenhouse gases as the decomposition process leads to methane production.

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Switching to a Climate-Healthy Diet Reduces Risk of Chronic Disease

Increasing vegetable intake and reducing red meat intake has been linked to significant reduction in risks of heart disease, diabetes, and total cancer incidence. These reductions are associated with lower blood pressure, weight, and “bad” cholesterol. There is often concern about missing key vitamins and minerals, but with proper supplementation, a high fruit and veggie and low meat diet is appropriate for almost anyone regardless of age, pregnancy status, or athletic requirements.